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Eagle Rock Entertainment and Virgin Records will release this fall, another addition to its extensive collection of archived live Queen recordings.

Queen: Live at the Rainbow ’74 will be released Tuesday, September 9th in the Untied States through Eagle Rock Entertainment and Monday, September 8th via Virgin Records in the United Kingdom. The concert was the final performance by the band on its very first ever nationwide headlining tour. The tour came on the heels of Queen’s tour supporting Mott The Hoople late the previous year. Queen was largely considered the better of the two bands during that tour.

The concert will be released on CD, Vinyl, DVD and SD Blu-ray as well as limited edition and digital sets. The specs for each format’s release are listed below.

QUEEN: LIVE AT THE RAINBOW ’74 - Package details

Package one

One CD featuring the November show

Package two

Two CD digi-pack, with one CD featuring the March show and the second CD featuring the November show

Package three

DVD or SD Blu-Ray of the November show with four “bonus” tracks from March

Package four (released in North America only)

SD Blu-Ray & CD combo box

Package five

2 Vinyl – Limited edition gate-fold double vinyl package, with one LP featuring an audio reproduction of the original March show live album and the other LP featuring highlights from the November show.

Package six

4 Vinyl – Limited edition four vinyl LP boxed set, two LPs featuring the March show and two featuring the November show

1) Two CDs, one CD featuring the March show and the second CD featuring the November show

2) A DVD and SD Blu-Ray of the November show with four “bonus” tracks from March

3) A 60 page hardback book containing lots of previously unseen photographs, and (among other items), reproductions of two reviews, one from The Times and one from Disc and Music Echo. A series of four articles from the latter publication is also included.

4) Reproductions of two tickets from the March concert (those actually used by Brian’s parents)

5) A reproduction of the tour itinerary folder for the March concert from promoter Mel Bush, including a letter instructing the band not to trash the hotel room or there will be dire consequences!

6) A reproduction of the 8 page show souvenir brochure

7) Two button badges – reproductions of items available at the concert

8) A reproduction of the purple and gold March concert poster

9) A reproduction of a fashion shoot in The TelegraphMagazine, featuring the band with fashion models.

10) A reproduction of the sticker stage pass from the March concert

Queen Live at the Rainbow will also be available as one disc and two disc eAlbum.

Queen: Live at the Rainbow ’74 – track listings:

One CD:

SHEER HEART ATTACK TOUR

Live at the Rainbow, November ’74

1. Procession

2. Now I’m Here

3. Ogre Battle

4. Father To Son

5. White Queen (As It Began)

6. Flick Of The Wrist

7. In The Lap Of The Gods

8. Killer Queen

9. The March Of The Black Queen

10. Bring Back That Leroy Brown

11. Son And Daughter

12. Guitar Solo

13. Son And Daughter (Reprise)

14. Keep Yourself Alive

15. Drum Solo

16. Keep Yourself Alive (Reprise)

17. Seven Seas Of Rhye

18. Stone Cold Crazy

19. Liar

20. In The Lap Of The Gods… Revisited

21. Big Spender

22. Modern Times Rock ’n’ Roll

23. Jailhouse Rock

24. God Save The Queen

Two CD digi-pack & four vinyl LP boxed set:

CD 1

QUEEN II TOUR

Live at the Rainbow, March ’74

1. Procession

2. Father To Son

3. Ogre Battle

4. Son And Daughter

5. Guitar Solo

6. Son And Daughter (Reprise)

7. White Queen (As It Began)

8. Great King Rat

9. The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke

10. Keep Yourself Alive

11. Drum Solo

12. Keep Yourself Alive (Reprise)

13. Seven Seas Of Rhye

14. Modern Times Rock ’n’ Roll

15. Jailhouse Rock (Medley)

Stupid Cupid (Medley)

Be Bop A Lula (Medley)

16. Liar

17. See What A Fool I’ve Been

CD 2

SHEER HEART ATTACK TOUR

Live at the Rainbow, November ’74

1. Procession

2. Now I’m Here

3. Ogre Battle

4. Father To Son

5. White Queen (As It Began)

6. Flick Of The Wrist

7. In The Lap Of The Gods

8. Killer Queen

9. The March Of The Black Queen

10. Bring Back That Leroy Brown

11. Son And Daughter

12. Guitar Solo

13. Son And Daughter (Reprise)

14. Keep Yourself Alive

15. Drum Solo

16. Keep Yourself Alive (Reprise)

17. Seven Seas Of Rhye

18. Stone Cold Crazy

19. Liar

20. In The Lap Of The Gods… Revisited

21. Big Spender

22. Modern Times Rock ’n’ Roll

23. Jailhouse Rock

24. God Save The Queen

Standard DVD and SD Blu-Ray:

SHEER HEART ATTACK TOUR

Live at the Rainbow, November ’74

1. Procession

2. Now I’m Here

3. Ogre Battle

4. Father To Son

5. White Queen (As It Began)

6. Flick Of The Wrist

7. In The Lap Of The Gods

8. Killer Queen

9. The March Of The Black Queen

10. Bring Back That Leroy Brown

11. Son And Daughter

12. Guitar Solo

13. Son And Daughter (Reprise)

14. Keep Yourself Alive

15. Drum Solo

16. Keep Yourself Alive (Reprise)

17. Seven Seas Of Rhye

18. Stone Cold Crazy

19. Liar

20. In The Lap Of The Gods… Revisited

21. Big Spender

22. Modern Times Rock ’n’ Roll

23. Jailhouse Rock

24. God Save The Queen

BONUS TRACKS

QUEEN II TOUR

Live at the Rainbow, March ’74

1. Son And Daughter

2. Guitar Solo

3. Son And Daughter (Reprise)

4. Modern Times Rock ’n’ Roll

Double Vinyl LP Package:

QUEEN II TOUR

Live at the Rainbow, March ’74

1. Procession

2. Father To Son

3. Ogre Battle

4. Son And Daughter

5. Guitar Solo

6. Son And Daughter (Reprise)

7. Keep Yourself Alive

8. Drum Solo

9. Keep Yourself Alive (Reprise)

10. Seven Seas Of Rhye

11. Modern Times Rock ’n’ Roll

12. Liar

SHEER HEART ATTACK TOUR

Live at the Rainbow, November ’74

1. Procession

2. Now I’m Here

3. White Queen (As It Began)

4. Flick Of The Wrist

5. In The Lap Of The Gods

6. Killer Queen

7. The March Of The Black Queen

8. Bring Back That Leroy Brown

9. Stone Cold Crazy

10. In The Lap Of The Gods… Revisited

Queen is currently touring with American Idol contestant Adam Lambert on vocals in support of the upcoming live release. The tour kicked off yesterday at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. More information on the band’s tour schedule, tickets and more is available online at http://www.facebook.com/queen and http://www.queenonline.com. To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Ticket information for Grammer’s upcoming tour is available online at his official website, http://www.andygrammer.com. Grammer’s current tour schedule is listed below. It includes a performance at the Visulite Theatre in Charlotte, North Carolina on Monday, June 23rd.

DATE CITY VENUE

Spring college tour:Fri 4/11 Ames, IA Iowa State University
Sat 4/12 Portland, OR University of Portland
Mon 4/14 Pocatello, ID Idaho State University
Tue 4/15 Provo, UT Brigham Young University
Thu 4/17 Columbia, SC University of South Carolina
Sat 5/3 Collegeville, MN College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University

Andy Grammer is back. The pop sensation debuted his brand new single on ‘Back Home’ this week on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show, “On Air With Ryan Seacrest.” ‘Back Home’ is the first single off of Grammer’s as-yet untitled sophomore album, which is due out this Fall on S-Curve Records. Fans can check out Grammer’s new single online now at http://onair.rs/1fy1bEJ. The song will be available for download via iTunes beginning Tuesday, April 8th and will start running on Adult Pop radio in May.
While they wait for more new music from Grammer, fans can catch him live on his Spring College Tour beginning Friday, April 4th at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. His current tour schedule, listed below, also includes stops at Washington College, Iowa State University, and the University Portland among others.

Catch ANDY GRAMMER on his spring college tour:
Fri 4/4 Auburn, AL Auburn University
Sat 4/5 Chestertown, MD Washington College
Fri 4/11 Ames, IA Iowa State University
Sat 4/12 Portland, OR University of Portland
Mon 4/14 Pocatello, ID Idaho State University
Tue 4/15 Provo, UT Brigham Young University
Thu 4/17 Columbia, SC University of South Carolina
Fri 4/25 Springfield, MA Western New England University
Sat 5/3 Collegeville, MN College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University

Good news for The Band Perry. The superstar country music trio has been nominated for two ACM Awards.

The announcement was made this week that the band has been nominated for “Vocal Group of the Year” and “Music Video of the Year.” The second of the nominations from the Academy of Country Music is for the video for the band’s #1 single, ‘Better Dig Two.’ That song was also the lead single from the band’s latest album, Pioneer. This year marks the third consecutive year that The Band Perry has been nominated for “Vocal Group of the Year.” It is the fourth consecutive year that the trio has received nominations from the Academy of Country Music. The band’s biggest year to date was 2011. It was that year that the band received five total ACM nominations. It won the award that year for “New Artist of the Year.”

Reid Perry spoke on behalf of the band after the announcement. He expressed the band’s excitement of being nominated again, and getting to come to Las Vegas again. Las Vegas is the home of the ACM Awards, which will be broadcast on CBS April 6th on CBS. “It’s such an honor to find out about our two ACM Award nominations,” he said. “We love the theatrics that happen in Vegas, and remember, what happens in Vegas … gets broadcast on live TV.”

The announcement of the band’s latest nominations comes at a high time for the band as it is scheduled to perform live on Fox as part of the network’s Super Bowl pre-game party. The band will perform alongside American Idol Season 11 winner Phillip Phillips. Reid’s brother and fellow band mate Neil jokingly discussed the band’s anticipation of playing the pre-game show and being back in temperatures above zero. “We’re all huge football fans, and there’s nothing more exciting than to be a part of football’s biggest day,” he said. “We’ve been up in Canada on our We Are Pioneers World Tour for the past month, so we’re just glad it will be above zero degrees in New York!”

The band won’t be slowing down any time soon after its performance this weekend on Fox. That performance is just part of its ongoing North American tour in support of Pioneer. It will be in Independence, MO next Thursday, February 6th. The band also has a planned performance later this Spring in North Carolina. It is scheduled to perform live in Cherokee, North Carolina on Friday, April 25th at the Harrah’s Cherokee. The band’s latest schedule of performances is listed below.

The Band Perry will join American IdolSeason 11 winner Philip Phillips at this year’s Super Bowl. The Perry siblings—Kimberly, Reid, and Neil—will join Phillips at the NFL Tailgate Party. The NFL Tailgate Party is part of the FOX Super Bowl Sunday broadcast. Parts of both Phillips’ and The Band Perry’s performances will appear on the network’s pre-game broadcast.

The Band Perry achieved major success with its most recent full length studio recording. Pioneer has garnered two consecutive #1 Country hits in ‘Better Dig Two’ and its Gold certified follow-up ‘DONE.’ Pioneer as a whole record has been certified Gold. It debuted at the top spot on Billboard’s Country Albums Chart and #2 All Genre. ‘Don’t Let Me Be Lonely’, the band’s latest single, currently sits in the #2 spot at Country radio. The siblings have enjoyed numerous sold out shows on its first ever worldwide headlining “We Are Pioneers” tour and just as many awards.

The Band Perry and Phillip Phillips will be joined at Fox’s pre-game party by cast members of the Broadway musicals Rock of Ages and Jersey Boys. Renee Fleming will perform the National Anthem before the game. Bruno Mars will headline this year’s Pepsi Super Bowl XLVIII Halftime Show. More information on The Band Perry is available online at http://www.facebook.com/thebandperry and http://www.thebandperry.com. To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

2014 is only a week or so old. Despite the infancy of the year, things are already picking up within the music industry. If the many lists of the year’s most anticipated albums are any indication, there is a lot to look forward to this year. That’s especially the case in the world of rock and metal. Albums from Slipknot, Tool, Earth Crisis, Corrosion of Conformity, Foo Fighters, Mastadon, Black Label Society, and so many others are already making purist rockers and metal heads the world over excited about the months to come. Now, yet another performer has added his name that already extensive list of bands and artists whose albums are highly anticipated this year. The performer in question is Monte Pittman. Pittman will release his new album The Power of Three.

The Power of Three is quite the interesting listen for those that might be unfamiliar with his body of work. While Pittman has had the honor of recording and touring with veteran New York based metal band Prong, he is most well-known for his work with none other than Madonna and former American Idol contestant Adam Lambert. He has also recorded with former Spice Girl Melanie C. on her 2003 album Reason. Considering that he has spent more time recording and touring with pop artists, Pittman’s new record, which will be released via Metal Blade Records on January 21st, will shock audiences. That’s because it is anything but a pop record. Rather, he and his band mates—Kane Richotte (drums) and Max Whipple (bass)—have crafted a ten-track record that is an early contender for a slot on this critic’s list of the year’s best hard rock records. The album’s second song, ‘Delusions of Grandeur’ is a pummeling song that hints at influences from the likes of thrash pioneers Pantera. This is the case at least in terms of the song’s musical side. Pittman’s guitar work, alongside Kane Richotte’s solid drumming, make this an excellent first impression from Pittman and company. Pittman shreds with the best of them. And his vocal style may even lead some to compare it to that of Fireball Ministry front man James A. Rota III. Whipple adds just enough low-end to bring everything together in this song.

Just as interesting to take in on this record is the album’s opener and lead single, ‘A Dark Horse.’ What makes the song so interesting is that there almost seems to be an old school Black Sabbath influence mixed into the song’s more prominent modern metal sound throughout its bridge and verses. One wouldn’t think the two sounds would gel. Low and behold, they work quite well together. As a matter of fact, there’s no doubt that Pittman and company will have listeners putting their horns high with pride. Yet again, all three members of the band work together here to make a song that will leave listeners breathless by the end of its near five-and-a-half-minute run time. And as with the album’s other songs, the production is just as solid as the music itself. Not one member of the three-man organization overpowers the other at any one point throughout the song.

For all of the heavier material that comprises this record’s body, Pittman also proves that he can hold back even if only a little bit. That’s evident in the almost Alice in Chains style ‘Everything’s Undone.’ Even more intriguing about the song is that the setup in the song’s opening moments may even conjure thoughts of Aerosmith’s ‘Back in The Saddle Again.’ It’s only momentary. But it’s there. On its lyrical side, it comes across as being rooted in the standard relationship issues that make up so many songs. He sings, “Driving faster/getting closer/But I feel farther from you/Here we go again/Who’s to blame/Am I gonna get closure from you/Now you’re gone/Is there something I’ve done wrong…Now everything’s undone.” It’s pretty obvious that Pittman is delving into a personal realm here. The catch is that unlike so many songs that are rooted in relationship issues, this one takes that lesser travelled road, opting for a less “oh, woe is me” vibe and more for something with energy about it. This is the case even in the song’s chorus. The song as a whole is just one more that makes this upcoming album well worth the listen and a definite early contender for a spot on this critic’s list of the year’s best new hard rock/metal albums. Fans will get to hear even more music from Pittman and his band mates when they perform February 22nd at Los Angeles’ famed Whisky A Go Go. Tickets for that show can be purchased via Pittman’s official website, http://montepittman.com. Fans can keep up with the latest addition to Pittman’s tour schedule and all of his latest news online at http://montepittman.com, http://www.facebook.com/MontePittman, http://www.myspace.com/montepittman, and http://twitter.com/montepittman. To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

The newly released Blu-ray release of Neil Sedaka’s The Song Goes On: Live at the Royal Albert Hall is an excellent companion piece to its CD companion released in 2012. The Blu-ray completes the concert experience started with the double-disc CD release in question. It does so by giving audiences the visual recording that they otherwise had not had until now. And Sedaka’s fans will most definitely appreciate getting to not just hear but see him perform so many of his hits. The experience is completed not just through the main performance, but also through the bonus interview included with the new Blu-ray release of this concert. The interview sees Sedaka sitting down one-on-one with fellow songwriter Paul Gambaccini. The pair discusses Sedaka’s music, his career, and his influence in their in-depth interview. It’s both insightful and entertaining as the men make their way through many of the songs featured in the main performance. The main performance and the bonus interview do so much to make this new release a completion for fans of Neil Sedaka that had been hoping for a video companion to the already released CD recording of his performance from the U.K. One can’t look at this new release (or any live release) without examining said performance’s audio and video mix. Those charged with manning the boards both for the concert and for the final product put the finishing touch here on what is one more expert live recording from Eagle Rock Entertainment and Eagle Vision.

The Blu-ray companion to the audio release of Sedaka’s live performance from the Royal Albert Hall completes the concert experience started last year. That’s because it is a video recording, and not just an audio recording. Instead of just hearing the performance, audiences get the full effect of the concert with this presentation. It allows viewers that were not there to make a full emotional connection both with Sedaka and with those that were in attendance for the taping. One prime example of that ability to connect lies in Sedaka’s performance of ‘I Go Ape.’ The excitement and energy on Sedaka’s face as he channels Jerry Lee Lewis can be felt even just watching at home. By direct contrast, the emotional depth of ‘The Hungry Years’ is sure to move even the strongest person to tears. That’s thanks again to being able to not just hear the motion in Sedaka’s voice, but also to see it in his face. One can tell that he really felt the music and the lyrics as he sang. These are just a pair of examples of how the show’s recording makes this concert experience complete. There are plenty more songs from which fans will be able to choose. They’ll be able to do so when they pick up this new Blu-ray themselves.

The main performance included in Neil Sedaka’s new live Blu-ray is the main component of what makes the entire concert experience complete. There is more to consider in what makes it complete, though. Audiences will also appreciate the bonus interview between Sedaka and his songwriter friend Paul Gambaccini. The in-depth interview sees the pair discussing Sedaka’s own career, his music, and his influence on today’s pop music culture. Through the course of the interview, the pair shares some laughs when they bring up Sedaka’s history with Carol King. There’s also a humorous moment shared in the discussion over the song, ‘Stairway to Heaven.’ Sedaka laughs as Gambaccini asks him wouldn’t he love to have Led Zeppelin’s royalty checks for the song, even though they are two entirely different songs. That in itself raises another interesting discussion topic in the inability of songwriters to copyright song titles. Apparently, songs themselves can have a copyright, but not a song title. There is also a discussion on whether Neil would have the hungry years or the successful years. This is one of the more insightful moments shared by Sedaka in his interview, and will definitely have audiences thinking. Again, these moments and the interview as a whole collectively make the interview between the old friends make for one more way this Blu-ray makes Sedaka’s live performance from the Royal Albert Hall complete.

Sedaka’s live performance at the U.K.’s Royal Albert Hall is a complete experience now thanks to the main performance and the bonus interview between Sedaka and friend Paul Gambaccini. There is still one more factor that fans and audiences should consider in the concert experience presented here. That factor is the show’s audio and video mix. Those charged with balancing both the audio and video are to be commended for the job that they did with the recording. This applies both to the original live recording and the final post-produced product. The audio and video presented here are just as impressive as any recording released by Eagle Rock Entertainment and Eagle Vision. Those with a surround sound home theater system will appreciate the mix just as much as those without one. From the high notes to the low notes and everything in between, every song is crystal clear both in terms of its video and audio. Along with the main performance and the bonus interview it brings everything full circle and makes this one more top notch live recording from Eagle Rock Entertainment and Eagle Vision. It is available now in stores and online. More information on this and other releases from Eagle Rock and Eagle Vision is available online at http://www.eagle-rock.com and http://www.facebook.com/EagleRockEnt. To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.